20 April 2015

Birthdays
Alex Black b. 1989 (Spider-Man, Charmed)
John Patrick Amedori b. 1987 (TiMER, The Butterfly Effect)
Billy Magnussen b. 1985 (Into the Woods, The Leftovers)
Matt Sadowski-Austin b. 1978 (Dawn of the Dead, Power Rangers)
Daniel Stamm b. 1976 (director, Intruders, The Last Exorcism)
Viv Leacock b. 1974 (Almost Human, Continuum, Eureka, Smallville, Fringe, Hot Tub Time Machine, 2012, Supernatural)
Carmen Electra b. 1972 (The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human, An American Vampire Story)
Shemar Moore b. 1970 (Birds of Prey)
William deVry b. 1968 (Hemlock Grove, Beauty and the Beast [2013], Stargate SG-1, Earth: Final Conflict, The Lost World [TV], Poltergeist: The Legacy, SeaQuest 2032)
Andy Serkis b. 1964 (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Godzilla [2014], The Hobbit, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Inkheart, Lord of the Rings, The Prestige, King Kong [2005])
Crispin Glover b. 1964 (Hot Tub Time Machine, Alice in Wonderland, Freezer Burn: The Invasion of Laxdale, Beowulf, The Wizard of Gore, Back to the Future, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter)
Tim Maculan b. 1963 (Spider-Man 3, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, NightMan)
Paris Vaughan b. 1961 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer [movie])
Mike Pniewski b, 1961 (Resurrection, Coma, From the Earth to the Moon, Superboy, Beauty and the Beast [1989], Spaceballs, The Twilight Zone [1986])
Nicholas Lyndhurst b. 1961 (Gulliver’s Travels [1996 TV], The Tomorrow People [1978], Peter Pan [1976 TV])
Clint Howard b. 1959 (Life with Zombies, The Lords of Salem, Blood Reign: The Third Reich, Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian, Halloween, Star Trek: Enterprise, Total Recall 2070, From the Earth to the Moon, Apollo 13, Deep Space Nine, Leprechaun 2, Space Rangers, Carnosaur, The Rocketeer, Cocoon, Splash, Star Trek)
Yuji Okumoto b. 1959 (Z Nation, Grimm, Inception, The Crow: Wicked Prayer, The Sorcerers, Lois & Clark, Robot Wars)
Geraint Wyn Davies b. 1957 (ReGenesis, Cube2: Hypercube, RoboCop: Prime Directives, Forever, Knight, Highlander, Dracula: The Series, Bionic Showdown)
Louise Jameson b. 1951 (Doctor Who, Space: 1999)
Jessica Lange b. 1949 (American Horror Story, Neverwas, King Kong [1976])
Veronica Cartwright b. 1949 (Resurrection, Eastwick, The Invasion, Invasion [TV], The X-Files, Sliders, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, The Witches of Eastwick, Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers [1978], Twilight Zone)
Gregory Itzin b. 1948 (Once Upon a Time, Star Trek: Enterprise, Firefly, Evolution, Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space Nine, Millennium, Quantum Leap, Eerie, Indiana, Hi, Honey, I’m Dead, Max Headroom, Teen Wolf, Voyagers!, Mork & Mindy)
Michael Brandon b. 1945 (Captain America: The First Avenger, Doctor Who, Dinotopia)
Judith O’Dea b. 1945 (Night of the Living Dead)
Ian Watson b. 1943 (writer and editor)
James Gammon b. 1940 died 16 July 2010 (Altered, The Cell, Monster Squad, Batman, The Invaders, Captain Nice)
George Takei b. 1937 (Star Trek, Lost Girl, The Big Bang Theory, Heroes, The Chronicle, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Oblivion 1 and 2, Beyond Westworld, The Six Million Dollar Man, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twilight Zone, Rodan, Godzilla Raids Again)
Gary Raymond b. 1935 (UFO, Jason and the Argonauts, H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man)
Robert DoQui b. 1934 died 9 February 2008 (Deep Space Nine, RoboCop 1, 2, and 3, Starman [TV], My Science Project, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchack: The Night Stalker, I Dream of Jeannie, The Outer Limits)
George R. Robertson b. 1933 (Haven, War of the Worlds [TV], The Twilight Zone [1989], Marooned, Rosemary’s Baby)
Nina Foch b. 1924 died 5 December 2008 (Alien Nation: Dark Horizon, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Outer Limits)
Leslie Phillips b. 1924 (Harry Potter, Aladdin [2000 YV], Cinderella [2000 TV], Tales from the Crypt, The Canterville Ghost, H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man [TV], The Gamma People)
Terry Maloney b. 1917 died 16 March 2008 (artist, New Worlds)
Bruce Cabot b. 1904 died 3 May 1972 (King Kong [1933])

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot and musings on nepotism. Previous Picture Slotters are George Takei and Jessica Lange. Avoiding repetition, other iconic choices would be Judith O'Dea from Night of the Living Dead, Crispin Glover from Back to the Future and possibly Andy Serkis, though Serkis' most famous roles are as basis for CGI in Peter Jackson films. The winner this year is Clint Howard as the creepy drunk alien that almost destroys the Enterprise just because he's bored. Both he and Veronica Cartwright are siblings of child stars whose careers took off before theirs did. Clint is the younger brother of Ron, Veronica is the older sister of Angela, best known now for Lost in Space. The thing is, all four of these folks are still working steadily well into their fifties and sixties, which is definitely not the average career arc for child actors. For all his good work, I still think of Clint as Ron's weird looking kid brother and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

2. Spot the Canadians! Quite often, our Canadian actors are in their twenties or thirties, but today we have quite a spread in ages, with George R. Robertson, Geraint Wyn Davies (born in Wales, family moved to Canada when he was a kid), William deVry, Viv Leacock and Matt Sadowski-Astin.

3. Wait... they're dead? There are two Oh That Guy actors on the list I didn't know were gone. James Gammon might be best known as the manager in Major League and Robert DoQui is the African American actor who played Sgt. Reed in the RoboCop movies.

4. MST3K. George R. Robertson was in Marooned, one of the biggest budget films ever to get the MST3K treatment.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.
   

Predictor: The OMNI Future Alamanac published in 1982

Prediction: Five species likely to go extinct in the next fifty years are the African Elephant, the Grizzly Bear, the Sperm Whale, the Mountain Gorilla and the Whooping Crane.

Reality: Technically, we are only 33 years into these predictions, so it's a little early to say how good they are. The Whooping Crane has been endangered since I was a kid and still is, with less than 500 creatures currently alive. On the brighter side, the number of gorillas in the wild is considered to be about 100,000 and African Elephants number near 700,000. All of these creatures are still listed on endangered species lists though the Grizzly Bear is now in the category called Least Concern, which is as good as the news gets for these species. I couldn't find approximate numbers for the current Sperm Whale population, but they are listed as Vulnerable, the least severe sub-category of Threatened.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The regular schedule is interrupted by a prediction of future tech from Doctor Who.

Join us then... INTO THE FUTURE!

 

29 October 2014

Birthdays
India Eisley b. 1993 (Underworld: Awakening)
Carlson Young b. 1990 (True Blood, Heroes)
Cherlilyn Wilson b. 1988 (True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, I (heart) Vampires, Supernatural)
Janet Montgomery b. 1985 (Salem, Gothica [TV], Merlin)
Johnny Lewis b. 1983 died 26 Sept. 2012 (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, Smallville)
Chelan Simmons b. 1982 (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Kyle XY, Ogre, Stargate: Atlantis, Supernatural, The Collector, Zix:Level Two, Smallville, Wonderfalls, Snakehead Terror, Monster Island, Carrie [2002 TV movie], It [1990])
Ben Foster b. 1980 (30 Days of Night, X-Men: The Last Stand, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, The Punisher, FlashForward)
Andrew Lee Potts b. 1979 (Dracula [2013 TV], Primeval, True Bloodthrist, Alice [2009 TV], Strange)
Brendan Fehr b. 1977 (Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men: First Class, Roswell, NightMan, The New Addams Family)
Aksel Hennie b. 1975 (Hercules)
Gabrielle Union b. 1972 (FlashForward, Meet Dave, The Others, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Winona Ryder b. 1971 (Star Trek, S1m0ne, Alien: Resurrection, Dracula, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice)
Michael Daingerfield b. 1970 (Arrow, Smallville, Tooth Fairy, The 4400, Dark Storm, The Time Tunnel [2006], Clash of the Titans [2006 TV], Supernatural, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Catwoman, Kingdom Hospital, Dreamcatcher, Stargate SG-1, Earth: Final Conflict, Highlander: The Raven)
Grayson McCouch b. 1968 (Gotham, Forbidden Island, Armageddon)
Rufus Sewell b. 1967 (Hercules, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature, Arabian Nights, Dark City)
Joely Fisher b. 1967 (Wizards of Waverly Place, Inspector Gadget, The Mask, Something is Out There)
Tim Minear b. 1963 (writer/producer, American Horror Story, Dollhouse, Angel, Firefly, Wonderfalls, The X-Files, Lois and Clark, Strange World)
Finola Hughes b. 1959 (Charmed, Generation X)
Dan Castellaneta b. 1957 (Futurama, Super 8, Stargate: SG-1, Space Jam, Highlander [TV], ALF)
Deborah Reed b. 1950 (Troll 2)
Kate Jackson b. 1948 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Topper [TV movie], Dark Shadows)
Richard Dreyfuss b.1947 (Coma [2012 TV], Piranha 3D, Tin Man, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Bewitched)
Margaret Nolan b. 1943 (Mystery and Imagination, Witchfinder General)
Jack Shepherd b. 1940 (The Golden Compass)
Ralph Bakshi b. 1938 (Cool World, Lord of the Rings, Wizards, Fire and Ice, Spider-Man)
Michael Jayston b. 1935 (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [1997 TV], Highlander: The Final Dimension, Doctor Who, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland [1972], UFO)
Margaret Sheridan b. 1926 died 1 May 1982 (The Thing from Another World)
Robert Hardy b. 1925 (Harry Potter, The 10th Kingdom, Gulliver’s Travels [TV], Frankenstein [1994], Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Supernatural [1977 TV mini-series], Gawain and the Green Knight)
Eddie Constantine b. 1913 died 25 February 1993 (Frankenstein’s Aunt, Alphaville)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. I will admit my willfulness with my Picture Slot selections for this date. Last year I went with Margaret Sheridan from the poster of The Thing from Another World and this year it's Rufus Sewell, star of Dark City, a film I loved. The thing is, there are two honest to Odin movie stars on this list with iconic roles, Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters and several roles for Winona Ryder. One of them will get the Picture slot in 2015. As for my choices in 2013 and 2014, I will invoke The First Rule of Blogging, coined by myself, which is "You're not the boss of me."

So there.


2. Spot the Canadians! Very tough today to get all three. I'll give two small hints. They are all born after 1968 and there is one actor whose resume looks Canadian but isn't, while a true Canadian has only a smattering of parts in Canadian genre productions.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.
 
 

 Predictor: Anonymous writer in the New York World, writing in March 1911 about the first of February, 2011

Prediction: John Smith generally employs his afternoons in perfecting his education. He often goes to the Museum, wherein are preserved specimens of extinct animals such as horses, dogs, cats, sheep and chickens. He loves to study the day in which such beings were the companions of men.

For now, such progress have chemistry and mechanics made that man has no more need of animals. He has killed off some and neglected to foster the multiplication of others, so they disappeared. The whistle of machinery and the hum of motors have taken the place of the song of birds. The forests are deserted and the fields without moos, whinnies or larks.

Reality: This is not the only prediction of mass extinction we have had. John Elfreth Watkins and H.G. Wells wrote things like this, but not quite as complete a massacre. His idea that horses were becoming obsolete was an obvious trend by 1911, but thinking that animal lovers would allow dogs,  cats and horses to become extinct is a very strange misread of human nature.

Never to be Forgotten: Elizabeth Norment 1953-2014

Another sad obituary of someone dead much too young. Elizabeth Norment, best known for her role on the Netflix series House of Cards as Nancy Kaufberger, the executive assistant to Kevin Spacey's Francis Underwood, has died at the age of 61 from cancer. She is remembered here for her roles in Runaway, the 1984 sci-fi movie written and directed by Michael Crichton, and the Twilight Zone story Examination Day, from which the still on the left is taken. The episode is based on a short story by Henry Slesar and is still one of the creepiest pieces of sci-fi I have ever read.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Elizabeth Norment, from a fan. She is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Thursday means Lee de Forest, who will be describing the home of the future for the next few weeks.


Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

24 July 2013

Birthdays
Anna Paquin b. 1982 (X-Men, True Blood)
Summer Glau b. 1981 (Angel, Dollhouse, Firefly/Serenity, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The 4400)
Rose Byrne b. 1979 (X-Men: First Class, 28 Weeks Later)

Yet again, a whole lot of pretty to choose from, but because of my partiality to Joss Whedon (and his not subtle tip of the hat to the great Frank Frazetta in this framing), I'm going with Ms. Glau as River Tam in Serenity.

And as always, I wish many happy returns of the day to all concerned.
 

Prediction: There will be no wild animals except in menageries. Rats and mice will have been exterminated. The horse will have become practically extinct. A few of high breed will be kept by the rich for racing, hunting and exercise. The automobile will have driven out the horse. Cattle and sheep will have no horns. They will be unable to run faster than the fattened hog of today. A century ago the wild hog could outrun a horse. Food animals will be bred to expend practically all of their life energy in producing meat, milk, wool and other by-products. Horns, bones, muscles and lungs will have been neglected.

Predictor: John Elfreth Watkins in a 1900 issue of The Ladies' Home Journal

Reality: It's a sad day here at the blog, because this is the last of the predictions from John Elfreth Watkins. No longer will the tinted photo of 1900's version of The Most Interesting Man in the World be looking out at us every Wednesday morning. I do have his replacement lined up, but quite honestly, though T. Baron Russell gets some stuff right, it just won't be the same. As my tribute to him, I have included the label Never To Be Forgotten. When I select the Predictions of the Year and present them between Christmas and New Year's, I'm sure we'll see him again.

And, oh yeah, the reality check. We still have plenty of wild animals and it's a good thing too. Cattle and sheep still have horns. The lives of food animals can be pretty miserable, but this prediction is way, way off. Sorry to see Mr. Watkins leave the field with such a disappointing result.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!


We hear from H.G. Wells again from The Shape of Things to Come.


Join us then... IN THE FUTURE! 
 

10 June 2013

Birthday
Andrew Niccol b. 1964

Mr. Niccol's best known work in genre is as writer and director of Gattaca, S1m0ne and In Time. My favorite work of his is probably his screenplay from The Truman Show, not really sci-fi or fantasy exactly but a very interesting alternate reality.

Many happy returns of the day to Mr. Niccol.

parody logo by wolfehpants

In the year 2000!

Predictor: The World Wildlife Fund in the pages of the OMNI Future Almanac

Predictions and reality: The species most likely to be extinct by 2000 (and the status in 2013 according to Wikipedia, worst cases to best cases top to bottom)

Extinct
Kauai o'o
Marianas mallard

Was extinct in the wild, now re-introduced
California condor
Red wolf

Critically endangered, possibly extinct
Imperial woodpecker

Critically endangered
Madagascar sea eagle
Iriomote cat
Javan Rhinoceros (only one population in the wild)
Central African mountain gorilla
Wild Bactrian camel
Mediterranean monk seal
Endangered
Japanese crested ibis
Mauritius parakeet
Chatham Island black robin
Mauritius kestrel
Indus dolphin
Mariana flying fox a.k.a. Mariana fruit bat
Giant panda

Not threatened
Aye-Aye

Least concern
grey whale

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The return of Ridiculous Bob. It's been too long since we've seen the Sofa Cover/Sports Coat That Walks Like A Man™!

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

16 May 2013

Birthdays
Megan Fox b. 1986
Lynn Collins b. 1977
David Boreanaz b. 1969
Bill Smitrovich b. 1947
Danny Trejo b. 1944  

Ms. Collins, who gets the Picture Slot, was in John Carter and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Boreanaz was on Angel and Buffy, Smitrovich has a long career and when he shows up in genre, he is usually playing a military man as he does in Iron Man. Trejo works a lot and his best known genre films are the Spy Kids series.

The less said about Ms. Fox, the better.

Many happy returns to them all.

(Also my sister Karla, who has never been in a sci-fi movie or TV show. Love ya, sweetie!)
 

Movies released
The Chronicles of Narnia:Prince Caspian released, 2008
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones released, 2002
Shrek released, 2001

As we can see this week with the release of the new Star Trek film, mid-May is the start of the summer blockbuster season and it has been ever since the first Star Wars movie. Before Star Wars, most big summer movies like Jaws waited for the end of the school year to be released.
 

Prediction: 1985: The last of the sea elephants is slaughtered, one of an innumerable number of species hunted to extinction in the twentieth century.

Predictor: H. G. Wells in The Shape of Things to Come, published 1933

Reality: Born in 1866 and writing in 1933, it isn't surprising for Wells to think that humans would continue the wholesale slaughter of species that had already happened during his lifetime. In this book, he also predicted humans would hunt the penguin into extinction. At the time he was writing, the sea elephant was definitely endangered. Early in the 20th Century, they were down to less than 100 individuals and they were being hunted for the oil in their blubber.

We aren't perfect, but we are doing better. Organizations like the World Wildlife Fund do a good job of publicizing endangered species and governments around the world do what they can to protect creatures and their habitats. The important breeding habitat for sea elephants is Año Nuevo State Park just north of Santa Cruz, California. I went on a tour during breeding season there when I was in college. They aren't pretty and they don't smell great, but they are remarkable creatures and I'm glad they are still around.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

German chocolate postcard day! Regular readers will know what that means.

 
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!